


Frosting and Sprinkles

by Taarbas



Series: Surfacers [10]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Polyamory Mention, Preston shows up briefly so idk if i should tag him but yea, baking together, i used that trope already what do you mean idk what you're talkin' bout
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 19:38:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6672913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taarbas/pseuds/Taarbas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While out scavenging, X6 finds a little bottle of strange multi colored pellets. Tracy is ecstatic, so naturally he has to go along with her plan for them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Frosting and Sprinkles

**Author's Note:**

> So originally there was supposed to be a few fics in between this one and the last one but I am impatient and I don't feel good so you get it now~

Tracy had all but squealed in delight when he found the little brightly colored tube.X6 had pulled it from the rubble of an old diner, the plastic dented and dusty but otherwise intact. He wasn’t sure what it was, staring in confusion at the brightly colored pellets inside. Maybe they were some kind of weapon? Or medicine? Pre-war pills tended to be different colors, he had learned. Or they at least had a colored band around them. Holding up the bottle, he turned to Tracy, about to ask her what they were when her face lit up and she bounded over to get a closer look, her smile wide and unashamed. It made his heart stop. “Where’d you find those?!” She’d asked, taking a step back as she realized she had invaded his space. Stepping forward, he set the bottle in her hand, and if his lingered on her’s for a little while too long, well that happened sometimes. He was surprised that Nick and Hancock didn’t try to keep her for themselves, he thought as he watched her dart around, only half listening to what she was saying. From what he had learned from some of Tracy and Piper’s pre-war books, couples tended to be downright aggressive towards anyone interested in their significant other. Hell, it sometimes came to murder. Jealousy and possession seemed to be the driving emotions in them. However, whenever he witnessed the triad interacting, he couldn’t detect hints of it. There were jokes about how someone was another’s or how they were going to keep the other close at all times, but it was just that. Jokes. “X? X are you with me?” He jumped, shaking his head to clear his mind. Tracy was watching him over her shoulder, concern knitting her brows together. “You didn’t answer my question and you were just kinda starin’. I was afraid you’d fully zoned on me. Or worse,” 

“I am okay ma’am. You mentioned a question?” She chewed her lip, rolling the bottle between her palms.

“Please drop the ma’am. Please. I will beg if I need to,” She replied, catching him off guard. 

“It would be improper-

“We’re dating,  _ please _ ,” She said, and for a moment she sounded small, so small. “It just...it’s not right. I’m not above you. I never was.  _ Please _ just don’t.” For a moment familiar panic began to set in, the anxiety of having messed up crawling up his throat and blinding him. With a deep breath, it cleared. 

“Ma’am, the Institute-” Her eyes dropped to the floor, her hands still rolling the little bottle of colored pellets. She was still listening, that was obvious, but she wasn’t looking at him. That wasn’t like her. His anxiety ticked up, and he swallowed. “...Tracy, I apologize,” The name felt weird rolling off his tongue, wrong and not for him. But he said it, and her head snapped up and her eyes were wide and he could see adoration in them and it constricted his chest in all the right ways-

“Don’t worry about it. I know they-they programmed you a certain way...nevermind. Thank you,” She shook her head, seeming to finally notice the bottle in her hands. “Anyway, my question. Sorry for bringing the mood down like that. But anyway, do you know what these are?” Her face lit up again, all traces of her former uneasiness gone. It happened so fast it made his worry. 

“No ma-Tracy,” X6 corrected at the last second, and she smiled, genuine pride in her eyes. 

“They’re a pre-war food. Well, more like topping,” She began to walk, him at her heels as they left the broken down diner and began weaving their way through the ruined streets of the Commonwealth. At this rate, they’d arrive in Sanctuary around nightfall. X6 didn’t mind, it meant less people would be out and about. It also meant he could spend more time alone with Tracy. He enjoyed spending time with all three of them; Tracy, Hancock, and Nick, but it could be draining for him sometimes. Sometimes he just needed to be alone with one other person, whoever it might be. Although not romantically involved with either of the other two, he found their presence more and more likable as time went on. Her voice snapped his attention back. “They’re called sprinkles. Basically, they’re just pure sugar and they got put on cakes and the like. Taste like crap on their own, though,” She admitted, back to rolling the bottle in her hands. 

“What do you plan to do with them?” He asked, determined to stay focused. Recently, his mind had begun to wander more and more. However, he hadn’t asked to be reset or wiped. He knew he should have, that Father and the Institute would want it. But he wouldn’t do it. At first, the little act of rebellion scared him. Now? He was glad he did it. For the first time in...well ever, X6 had friends. Legitimate, “Here because we like you” friends. She grinned up at him, and he took her hand as they walked, fingers slipping in the spaces between her’s. 

“Nice to see you getting more comfortable,” Tracy squeezed his hand, running her thumb over his gloved knuckles. “Dunno. Maybe cupcakes? Whatever, I’ll figure it out when we get back.” Squeezing back, he turned away to hide the flush in his face, staring at the open land before them. So far, nothing had popped out at them, save for a few raiders. Those were taken care of with ease. They walked hand in hand, occasionally stopping to point something out to the other. A Radstag with an extra leg, a Deathclaw nest with nothing but large shells remaining, a Mirelurk stuck on its back, it didn’t matter. It was pointed out. “How’s Bog?” Tracy asked, kicking a rock with the toe of her boot. “Haven’t seen him out and about in a while.” X6 nodded.

“He hasn’t been feeling well,” He admitted. X6 had thought for sure the poor kitten was dying only a few days ago. Bog had been coughing, and no amount of attempts to give the kitten water seemed to be helping. Finally, in a total panic, he had run to Curie, nearly in tears and dragging her back to the kitten’s side. Curie had laughed, stroking his fur as she assured him in her lilting voice that “Do not worry Monsieur, they throw up hairballs all the time. He will be just fine,” She had stayed with him though, walking him through how to deal with the kitten. X6 had been so relieved he could have kissed her. “However, Miss Curie has said that he will be fine.” 

“That’s great! Was gettin’ worried about the lil’ guy,” She tossed the plastic bottle up, more bouncing it in her hand then throwing it. The other stayed calmly clasped with his, just enough pressure to let him know it was okay to continue while still allowing him to pull away if he chose. He never wanted to. 

Night fell, and the neon lights on Sanctuary’s old sign greeted them. The words, “The BOS can eat it” weren’t exactly mature, but no amount of explaining could talk Tracy out of it. The other sign was much nicer, proudly proclaiming that synths and ghouls were welcome to settle. Preston stood guard, a Minutemen flag flapping proudly on the front of the post. “Evening,” He called down, smiling sweetly at the pair. “How’d it go, general?” Tracy held up the little bottle, her eyes bright.

“X found these in an old diner! Otherwise, I got some scanners for the turrets and a bunch of screws and the like. Even some nuclear material off a raider. It was great!” Preston’s smile widened, his face warm and open. X6 didn’t understand how the other man did it. Whenever he tried to smile any wider than usual, he flashed his teeth, which apparently was intimidating. Preston made it look easy, his smile warm and inviting instead of lethal or threatening. He wondered sometimes if the other man could teach him. Then again, he didn’t want to bother him. “Have a good night, Preston!” She called as they passed, the other man responding in kind before turning back to his post. “I wish he’d sleep,” Her voice dropped as they walked, heading towards her shack. “He get’s upset when I ask him too, though. Says someone’s gotta stand guard. I tell him I’ll do it, and I have before, but he doesn’t listen,” She sighed. “He’s stubborn. All I can do is hang around and bring him food or blankets when it’s cold. I hope with the new turrets he’ll rest more,” X6 nodded, looking over his shoulder at the minute man. His back was ramrod straight, his eyes ahead and fingers not far from his rifle. A chill was in the air, and X6 made a mental note to bring him some blankets that night. When they reached his shack, Tracy stopped, standing by the little path that had once been something called a “sidewalk”. “You gonna go to bed?” Tracy asked, looking up at him. The strings of lights she had put up illuminated her face, causing her scars to practically glow. 

“I wasn’t planning to, Tracy. Unless you’d like me to.” 

“Wanna bake with me?” He nodded without a second thought, following her across the busted street and into her home. It was dark inside, the lights from outside not doing much to illuminate the small space. However, with the flick of a switch her kitchen was bathed in a warm glow. “So glad I got those pylons set up,” She sighed, pulling out dented bowls and a nearly broken tin covered in cups. “You ever had a cupcake?” 

“No. What is it?” He asked, already going for the flour and sugar. He knew enough to know that those two ingredients were in practically everything she made.

    “They’re basically mini-cakes,” She replied,  bouncing around the kitchen and gathering up her other ingredients, asking him to grab this or that and bring it here or there. X6 was eager to help, following her around and listening to her as she chattered on. “Sometimes they’re softer, and some people put raisins in them. I don’t. It’s nasty,” He didn’t know what a raisin was, but he knew they had to be wrinkly. She called Hancock one a lot. “Here, it’s kinda like making brownies…” She trailed off, guiding him over and showing him the steps. He mostly observed occasionally being handed the bowl and asked to attempt it. Thankfully, this time ended with much less flour all over him, and took a lot less time to cook. In the meantime, Tracy showed him how to make something called “frosting”. 

    “This looks like pure sugar,” He muttered, sniffing at it. “Smells like it too,” Tracy snickered, licking some off her fingers.

     “Pretty much. It’s great.” Picking up the fork she had whipped it with, she scooped up the strange mixture, holding it out to him. “Try it,” He frowned, looking between it and her, before figuring he had nothing to lose and taking it from her hand, careful not to stab his tongue. Tracy grinned, bouncing on her heels as he pulled it out of his mouth, rolling the fork handle between his fingers. It made his mouth feel sticky and coated. However, it tasted good. Really good. He was not complaining. 

    “It is pure sugar, m-Tracy,” Damnit. Almost. Tracy grinned, seeming to have not noticed the slip up as she took the fork from him. 

    “I thought you of all people would appreciate that.” His lips quirked into a smile.

    “I never said it was a bad thing,” That got a laugh, and she took one of the little cakes out of the pan and set it on the counter. 

    “Hand me that knife, could you?” She asked, and he did, letting his fingers brush the inside of her wrist. She noticed, smiling with a little shake of her head as she scooped out a large glob of the paste like substance, spreading it over the cake. “Hang on, don’t eat it,” She muttered, looking around. “Aha!” Snatching up the bottle of sprinkles, she upended it over the small cake, coating it in the multi colored candies. “Try it, it’s good! Messy, but good,” She said, dropping the container to pick up the cake and hand it to him. He hesitated, taking it and breaking it in half. Handing her the second half made her laugh, taking it and smearing frosting all over her fingers. “Cheers!” She called, popping the entirety of her cake in her mouth. He took a more modest bite, savoring the taste. “Well? What do you think?” He looked up to answer and froze, the answer dying on his lips. Frosting was smeared across her lip, white even against her pale skin. Swallowing, he flicked his eyes between hers and the frosting. He had the oddest urge…”X?” She asked, and he stepped forward, brushing it off her with his thumb. She frowned, looking over and noting it with a laugh. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t even notice,” The urge wasn’t gone. It was stronger. Wiping his hand off, he took a deep breath.

     “Tracy? May I ask you something?” She leaned against the counter, crossing her arms over her chest. 

    “Sure, what’s up?” 

    “May I-Can I-” The words kept sticking in his throat, refusing to come up. Her face fell, worry beginning to cloud her eyes. “May I kiss you?” The words tumbled out much clumsier than he would have liked. Her breath stopped for a moment, eyes going wide. She swallowed, licking her lips as she pulled away from the counter to stand in front of him. 

     “Y-Ya. You don’t gotta ask ya know,” She replied. He nodded, his hands coming up to rest on either side of her face. He wasn’t exactly sure how this worked, but he had seen her kiss Nick and Hancock enough times to know the general jist of it. Plus he had the added knowledge of what  _ not _ to do, thanks to MacCready and his bad habit of trying to kiss people when drunk. Their noses bumped together at first, Tracy guiding him to tilt his head so their mouths could meet. It was slow and gentle, warm skin melding together. The tension that had built in X6’s shoulders drained out, his thumb idly stroking Tracy’s face. She smiled against his mouth, guiding the kiss as one of her hands curled around his wrist. The other made its way to his chest, resting right above his pounding heart. They parted for air, Tracy smiling up at him. “Well?” She asked, her hand still curled around his wrist. He swallowed around a dry tongue, nodding quickly and dipping down to clumsily kiss her cheek. She laughed, letting him pepper her face with kisses and managing to sneak one or two of her own in when she could. 

    “Thank you,” He said when he finally let up, his hands sliding to rest on her shoulders. 

   “No no, thank you. Was wondering how I was gonna explain that to you if you were curious,” She admitted, her face flushing a little darker. He hadn’t noticed before but yes, her cheeks were pink when they parted, her pupils a little wider. He looked back at the counter, if only to beat back the urge to do it again. 

    “We need to finish these, don’t we?” He asked, the little cakes still sitting in their pans. Tracy nodded, chuckling to herself.

    “May wanna wash your face. You’re covered in lipstick.” 


End file.
